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Sony SCD-XA5400ES-Best SACD for under $10,000

This Sony player supplanted my Ayre C5-XE 3, which I still have, months ago. I paid $6000 for the Ayre after determining that it was the best-sounding unit for under $10,000. The Sony blows it away!!!
A unit costing $1500 besting all others under $10,000? That is exactly what it does!
For reference, I am using Audio Research electronics and Vandersteen speakers and subwoofers (about $30,000); a similar system has repeatedly been lauded as "best of show" at CES, so we are NOT talking second-rate stuff here.
This Sony is the only SACD/Cd player I have EVER heard that puts a classical piano live in my living room; nothing I ever had before even comes close.
This unit is a small miracle. I would have gladly paid $8000 for it, but if they want to give the thing away for $1500, who am I to argue?
This unit is going to send the engineers at Audio Research, Luxman, Esoteric, and Ayre back to the drawing board; their current units at 4 to 5 times the price are not even close. Some engineer at Sony is a freaking genius!!!
wa6itd
rhyno's avatar
rhyno
649 posts
 
so has anyone put an upgraded fuse in the PS of the MW 5400?

i will say putting the transport on a separate dedicated line was a big winner for me...(i have 4 dedicated lines). unit loves to be isolated.
wig's avatar
wig
1,274 posts
 
Yep; the 5400ES is 2 T800 and the power supply is a 1.5/6 mal slow blow as well.
brownsfan
1,508 posts
 
Rhyno, I just put one of the new Audio Magic Liquid Air Fuses in my PS for the MW 5400 about 2 weeks ago. It did not make a huge difference over the stock fuse in my estimation. It seemed to impart a bit of an improvement in dynamics, but did not make a huge difference. I got more bang out of replacing the stock fuses in my Cary 500 MB amps and in my Magnepan 3.7's than I did on the power supply for the ModWright. I have yet to replace the stock fuses in the player, but I do plan on doing that at some point.
wig's avatar
wig
1,274 posts
 
I use Hi-Fi supreme fuses with great success in all of my components...
podeschi
303 posts
 
Dan at Modwright had his exceptional tech look into an actual unit today. Inside the 5400 transport there are two T800mal fuses. So those are in fact slow blow. Also, the power supply to the modwright 5400 unit has a mismarking on the back. It is not a 1amp fuse, per Dan the Sony 5400 Modwright power supply takes a 3 amp slow blow fuse, which is what I placed in there. This is why I love buying American hi-fi brands. The actual owners are responsive and hands on.
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